IC-GOLD-Cheyenne of the Dead(Everyone)

[ryansommer]

Frank tunes his combat radio to the channel the base uses, then keys the mic: "Warren Airforce Base, this is Airman Frank Hodges. Do you read me? Over."

[Mr. Handy]

On the road-
After a pause, an unfamiliar man's voice replied: "Roger that, Airman. Who is it exactly you're trying to contact? What unit are you with, and where are you stationed?"

[ryansommer]

Frank gave the voice the name of his until, then continued: " we were stationed at the radio post at the motel we had identified. We lost the position and most of our men. We are now enroute to Warren with the surviving civilians in town. What is the status of Warren and to whom am i speaking Over."

[ryansommer]

Does Frank recognize the voice on the other end? Does he find anything odd aboutthe way he answered Franks call?

[Mr. Handy]

OOC,No, he doesn't recognize the voice. If you want to know if you find anything odd, roll Psychology. The base skill is 5%.

[Mr Zombie killer]

OOC,Actually I have a problem with this tactic. Hodges or at least someone in our group, thinking of Dave here, would have known that the millitary was ordered to keep the civilians away from the hotel eariler in the day. Because of that why in heck would Warren let us civiis inside the gate?

[ryansommer]

Well,I think it's too late. Frank has already made the call into Warren. I don't believe he was a part of the original fire team from Warren so he may not have had the same orders.

Being just a recon grunt, Frank could not detect anything in the mans voice. Turning towards Rabecca, Frank said: "Do you recognize who that was that answered our radio call? Did he sound strange to you?"

OOC: Is there a special phrase and answer combo or anything that Warren and the troops have that allows them to identify each other. Like if he says "Thunder" Frank knows to reply with "Lightning" to identify himself. Kind of a radio based ID check.

[Mr. Handy]

OOC,[b]Frank Hodges[/b] and [b]Roger Coltrane[/b] were not expected to have to communicate with other units and don't know of any special callsigns. [b]Lt. Curtis[/b] would have known things like that if they exist, but he didn't make it. The airmen from the missile base were sent out in a hurry and were only briefed in flight by [b]Curtis[/b], who told them no such things. [b]Lt. Doolittle[/b] would know protocols for communications from the air. Neither she nor any of the others recognize the voice. She may try a Psychology roll as well. I'll give her player a little more time to post before updating, and I'll roll Psychology for the NPCs involved as well. All USAF characters know that civilians are not allowed onto the base. Some of them may have further knowledge than that in their secrets.

[Mr. Handy]

OOC,Fulcilives2003 has been absent since January 4, so I'll temporarily take over [b]Lt. Doolittle[/b] as an NPC.

On the road-
Lt. Doolittle shook her head. "Sorry, Airman, I don't know who this guy is or if there's anything odd about him," she said. Zorie just shrugged.

"This is Sergeant Bloch," replied the man on the other end of the radio. "You're from the fallen communications post? I had thought this was a transmission from within the base itself. Our status is the same as at was before. We're holding, but we're under constant siege. The CO has us in lockdown, so I'm afraid you're not going to be allowed in. All approaches to the base by road have been barricaded, and minefields have been laid in the road beyond the barricade. Nobody gets in or out except by air."

"Sergeant, this is Lt. Rebecca Doolittle," the pilot said. "I was co-pilot of the helicopter that brought Airman Hodges and his team to the motel. We have to get back inside the base. I wasn't even supposed to be deployed. If the helicopter hadn't crashed-"

"Ma'am, it's not my decision. We have our orders."

"Well, can you patch us through to Lt. Colonel Carmichael? Maybe he can arrange something."

"Yes, ma'am. Please hold on a minute."

Senior Airman Roger Coltrane listened in as he rode in Colin's truck, but he had absolutely no clue as to the sergeant's motivations.

David continued to lead the convoy west on Route 223. He drove past a winding road called Speer Road on the right. Then Route 223 curved around to the southwest, crossing railroad tracks. Ahead was a T-intersection. The road continued straight ahead, where it became a service road for I-25. Route 223 itself continued to the right, where it passed under I-25, but there were entrance and exit ramps leading to the elevated highway. He swung the semi around to the right, dropping speed as he turned, and then turned right again at the on-ramp.

OOC,Whoever posts first, make a Luck roll for the group. The average of everyone's Luck score is 60%.

[Mr Zombie killer]

Colin cursed under his breath, "I served in this man's army and a pissant little Colonel is going to think he can do as he pleases and not keep me safe? Hell with him." He followed David onto the on ramp but he did not break.

Luck roll for group: He was lucky.

[ryansommer]

"Mother fucker" Frank cursed in the car. He keyed the radio: "With all due respect, sir, thats bullshit! These prople fought and died along side us at that motel. Too many of them lost their lives defending the motel with us and protecting soldiers. They are soldiers, each and every one of them. They may not have gone though boot camp like the rest of us, but they ARE soldiers. Each and everyone of them. Just what do you expect them to do? Roam the wilds with the infected that are out there? They deserve better than that and you know it."

[Mr Zombie killer]

Mr. Handy,Is there a way that Colin can talk to the group in the cars without Warren Air Force Base hearing us?

[Mr. Handy]

OOC,Yes, [b]Colin[/b] can use the CB in his truck to talk to the others in the group without Warren AFB hearing it - unless, of course, they're monitoring the CB frequencies. However, only those in the trucks have CB radios. There isn't one in the car, and all the people in there have tuned their personal radios to the base's frequency right now. [b]Amanda[/b] is riding her Harley, which doesn't have one, but if you wave her over she'll ride alongside you, and she can also relay messages to the car.

On the road-
David led the way onto I-25 North. To the west, Polaris Ditch was visible. A waterway linked it to the Polaris Reservoir on the other side of the highway, which provided water for Cheyenne and its suburbs. The highway itself was fortunately deserted. Wrecked and abandoned cars dotted the road, but they did not obstruct it and the convoy was able to make decent progress on its way north. After a short distance, they passed Speer Road as it went under the elevated highway.

"The colonel isn't on the line yet, AIrman," said Sergeant Bloch. "I understand how you feel, but I suggest you be a bit more diplomatic when you do speak to him."

After a minute, the familiar voice of Lt. Colonel Carmichael came on the radio: "This is Carmichael. I'd like to speak to Lt. Doolittle, please."

"Speaking, sir," replied Doolittle. "You can't seriously mean we won't be allowed entry to the base!"

"I'm afraid that isn't my call to make, Lieutenant. The orders came down from on top. The CO fears that any of you could be infected, and he's determined not to risk it spreading onto the base. I'm sure you can appreciate that. It was one infected man who brought down your helicopter and caused the deaths of several people, after all. Even if you were granted permission to enter, all of the roads have been blocked off and mined since this morning. I recommend that you head for one of the missile bases so you can reinforce its garrison. If you tell me your location, I can direct you to the nearest one."

"Sir, with all due respect, those bases aren't safe," said Coltrane. "This is Senior Airman Roger Coltrane, and I guess I'm Lt. Doolittle's XO now. I was stationed at one of those bases, and it fell. I doubt the others are any safer."

"Then let me remind you, Senior Airman, that the base where you were stationed fell because it too had been compromised from within by infected personnel."

"Sir, can't we be quarantined and screened first before being admitted to the main base? We have Zorie Spooner with us, and she can examine all of us."

"That's right, Colonel," said Zorie Spooner. "I'm wearing a level 4 suit, and it has not been breached. I can't possibly be bringing any pathogens inside the base."

Carmichael paused. "Well, you can probably be allowed entry, Ms. Spooner, once it's verified that your suit's seals are intact and you go through decontamination. As for the others...like I said, it's not my call. You'd have to go off road to reach the base perimeter, too."

"Most of our vehicles can go off road, sir," said Lt. Doolittle, "but not all of them. The two pickup trucks and the motorcycle won't have a problem, but the car I'm driving and the semi can't do it. And that semi is loaded with all sorts of useful things: generators, hardware, and a large supply of lumber. Can't you talk to your superiors?"

OOC,[b]Lt. Doolittle[/b] and [b]Frank Hodges[/b], roll Persuade or Fast Talk if you want to try to convince [b]Carmichael[/b] to go to the base commanders. The base skill level is 15% for Persuade and 5% for Fast Talk.

Frank Hodges,[b]Carmichael[/b] has EDU 18, so your Fast Talk roll would have a -10 penalty in this case due to the overconfidence mentioned in your secrets.

[fulcilives2003]

Lt. Doolittle's tone grows more stern by the second. Anger and fear are a bad combination. Her voice picks up as she implores Carmichael to go to his superior. "We need in that base. Please go get your superior!"

[ryansommer]

Frank looks to Doolittle: "We made need a backup plan, Lt."

[fulcilives2003]

Lt. doolittle ignores the question. Nothing is on her mind but getting into that base. She just wants to talk to the superior, that's it, no back up plans. Back up plans are not an option.

[Mr Zombie killer]

Colin waved Amanda over to him and rolled down the window. He said to her, "Relay a message to those in the car and to Dave in the Semi. I do not think that the base will let us in. Regardless once they find out that Dr Owen has been bitten they will not let him in and most likly will simply shoot us all down. So I think that we need to come up with another plan. I know that about 1 hour away from here north is Fort Laramie National Historical Park. It is isolated, there is maybe 1 or 2 NPS rangers there who can either be bargoned with or taken down if that be the case, and there are plently of buildings with food and water. We can stay there for a few days or at least tonight. But we need to get there soon. Can you please let the others know the plan but tell them to keep off the CB as i do not trust the airforce base."

[Mr. Handy]

On the road-
"Taken down?!" said Amanda. "Let's not be so hasty, Colin. I don't want to kill anyone, and I don't think the United States Air Force is that far gone. I know you've been through hell. We all have. But we can't go around seeing the worst in everyone. The USAF is afraid of us too. They think we'll bring death into the base, but if we can talk to them rationally I'm sure we can work something out. I'll tell the others what you said, but I'd much rather get into the base. How do we even know if those rangers are still alive? And Doc Owens always knew he wouldn't be going onto the base. It's best that they don't know about him at all." Amanda drove forward and pulled alongside the car as it headed north on I-25, telling those within what Colin had said and her own thoughts on the matter.

"Sir," said Coltrane into the radio. "Please, do whatever you can to get through to your superiors. We have invaluable resources that can help in the base's defense. Lt. Doolittle is a skilled pilot, and all of us know how to use guns. We've got generators and other useful supplies in the semi. And our knowledge of the threats out there is the most valuable treasure of all."

"I just don't know," said Carmichael. "It's not that I'm not sympathetic, but the CO has a point about the risks we face. I'm sure we can allow Zorie Spooner inside after she's cleared, but as for the rest of you..."

"Sir, please!" begged Zorie. "I don't want to leave these people behind."

"I understand how you feel, but it would be a waste of time for me to even talk to those above me. They're not going to change their minds."

Zorie switched off her microphone temporarily and spoke to those in the car and Amanda. "I can't just go into the base and leave everyone else out here."

"Zorie, you've got to," said Amanda. "You need to take care of yourself. And besides, maybe once you're on the base you'll have a chance to speak to the people in charge and get them to relent and let us in."

David kept leading the way north, Dale Owens sitting silently beside him, deep in thought. He passed a sign overhead that read:

Orchard Valley - 1 mile
Cheyenne - 2 miles

OOC,[b]Frank Hodges[/b], you still haven't rolled Persuade or Fast Talk. You may still try if you wish.

[Mr Zombie killer]

Colin pulled up alongside of Dave's semi and made the motion for him to roll down the window. He then repeated what he had told Amanda about Fort Larimie and how that would be a better choice he thought.

[Mr. Handy]

On the road-
"I dunno," said David. "I think the base is our best bet. We won't be anywhere near as secure anywhere else."

Coltrane glanced over at Colin Lewis. "You wanna borrow my radio and try talking to the colonel?" he asked. "As a former military man who's seen action, you may be able to earn his respect. Just be respectful in kind."

OOC,[b]Colin Lewis[/b], you may roll Persuade if you talk to [b]Carmichael[/b] and try to convince him to talk to his superiors.